It was the Socialist Democrat Party’s (PSD) turn to rock Dili, a week
after Fretilin launched its campaign, with its national candidates.

PSD’s campaign was launched at the GMT (Rising Sun indoor Stadium) in
Dili. The new party, formed on 20 September last year, is under the
leadership of Mario Carrascalao.

Also present at the launch were Mario’s children: Pedro Carrascalao
­ the ex-husband of Indonesian movie star Sarah Azhari ­ and movie star
Sonia Dora Carrascalao. Several national artists, like Anito “Kasmaut”
Matos, were also with the PSD candidates.

Mid-term development programs formed the core of PSD issues. The
candidates stressed the importance of developing farming, forestry,
plantations and the livestock industry.

Mario Carrascalao said these sectors were important to the country
because 90 per cent of Timor Lorosae people depended on agriculture for
their livelihood.

Mario Carrascalao also said the PSD will concentrate on developing
farming, production and distribution cooperatives. Farmers, he said, will
also have access to credit facilities if the PSD came into power after the
30 August elections.

The ETTA Cabinet had to, late last week, take emergency decisions to
address electricity supply issues in the 13 districts. The Electricity
Board is on the verge of bankruptcy because UNTAET’s funds for the
purchase of diesel to run generators and equipment replacement parts are
fast running out.

The Director General of ETTA’s Infrastructure Department, Ian Hook
said this on Friday at a press conference.

He said UNTAET is currently spending US$20 million a year to keep up
electricity generation for the 13 districts. He said in the 2000/2001
budget, only US$12 million had been allocated for power.

“There is a shortfall of about US$8 million and UNTAET is finding it
very difficult to meet the difference,” said Hook.

Not having any choice, said Hook, UNTAET has to make consumers pay for
electricity usage.

According to Hook, consumers in the 13 districts will be billed from 1
July but payments will be made from August and September.

Hook said there were 18,000 consumers in Dili and out of that number 80
per cent had meters and the other 20 per cent did not.

Coordinator of Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (RDTL) Antonio
Aitahan Matak urged political leaders not to make empty promises to the
people. He said they had to fulfill their promises to bring the people out
of their present sufferings.

“Don’t make promises just for the campaign and then forget them
later. Political leaders must make sure that within 10 or 20 years poverty
and illiteracy will be eradicated in this country,” said Aitahan Matak
in an interview with STL.

Aitahan Matak said there was a pool of highly-skilled people in the
country, in various disciplines, and they help alleviate poverty and
illetracy.

On democracy, the RDTL leader said the system should support the
setting up of many political parties.

When asked why RDTL did not participate in the 30 August election
organized by the UN, he said: ”The United Nations must first acknowledge
that independence was proclaimed on 28 November 1975 before giving a
chance for the establishment of political parties.”

“The Timorese people know they are already independent but the United
Nations does not want to acknowledge it.”

The Timor Lorosae flag is a symbol of the people and only the people
will have a say on it. This was stated by Joao Carrascalao, the president
of the Uni Demokrat Timor party (UDT).

He was answering a question posed by a Timor Post reporter at the “Political
Parties Meet the Press Day” organized by the Timor Lorosae Journalists
Association.

“The flag of the country cannot be determined by one party. The only
way it can be done is through a referendum involving the people,” said
Joao Carrascalao when answering a question on why Fretilin was defending
the RDTL flag as a national symbol.

“The people must have a choice to determine a symbol that will be
theirs,” he added.

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